ALL FIRED UP by Lori Foster

December 2, 2019

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Road to Love, Book 3

From the publisher:

He’s tantalizing trouble she can’t resist…

Charlotte Parrish has always wanted a certain kind of man: someone responsible, settled, boring. Bad boys need not apply. But when her car leaves her stranded and a mysterious stranger with brooding eyes and a protective streak comes to her rescue, she can’t deny how drawn she is to him. In town searching for family he’s never met, Mitch is everything she never thought she wanted—and suddenly everything she craves.

Finding his half brothers after all these years is more than Mitch Crews has allowed himself to wish for. Finding love never even crossed his mind…until he meets Charlotte. She’s sweet, warmhearted, sexier than she knows—and too damn good for an ex-con like him. But when his past comes back to haunt him, putting Charlotte—and the family he’s come to care for—in danger, Mitch isn’t playing by the rules. He’s already surrendered his heart, but now he’ll risk his life.

Foster writes reliably good contemporary romances, and this is her latest entry into the Road to Love series. I really like this series, probably because I enjoy her writing style. Her characters are well defined and come to life on the page, and I couldn’t help but care about what happens to them. Her settings are vivid, and there is enough suspense to keep the pages turning. And the romance is sizzling! That probably explains the hundreds of five-star ratings this book has on Goodreads.

Mitch has had a very troubled past; drug addict mom, her dealer/boyfriend physically abused Mitch, and a father who came and went because he was married to someone else. Mitch loses his mom and ends up in jail, but this is no spoiler. The book starts as he has just gotten out of prison and has landed in town to meet the half brothers who don’t even know he exists. So right away I was drawn to this damaged character.

Charlotte is almost too good to be true. But every time I think she can’t be that nice – nobody is that nice –  she opens up her mouth and reveals she’s got some backbone, too. I couldn’t help but cheer this relationship on, despite all the hurdles they have to jump.

There is a bit of suspense because Mitch’s mom’s drug dealer boyfriend is after him, and he is a nasty piece of work. But the romance trumps all, just the way I like it.

Foster is a pro, and this book stands alone beautifully. If you prefer to read in order:

Driven to Distraction (Book 1)

Slow Ride (Book 2)

12/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL FIRED UP by Lori Foster. HQN; Original edition (November 19, 2019). ISBN 978-1335505071. 384p.

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Win the December ’19 bookshelf of signed thrillers!

December 1, 2019

Welcome to the December bookshelf of signed thrillers! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone. Last contest of 2019!!

This month the International Thriller Writers have provided some exciting new thrillers to help fill your bookshelf! Don’t forget to check back, additional titles may be added before the year ends. To enter: Win Books

Best of luck!

A SMALL TOWN by Thomas Perry: From the New York Times bestselling author Thomas Perry, “who can be depended upon to deliver high-voltage shocks” (Stephen King), comes a new thriller about an ingenuous jailbreak and the manhunt it unleashes

GOOD GIRLS LIE by J.T. Ellison: J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new psychological thriller examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets. In a follow-up to Lie to Me and Tear Me Apart, a popular transfer student at an elite prep school races to protect a dangerous secret when a killer sets her up for a string of murders.

LIAR’S LEGACY by Taylor Stevens: They were born in the shadows. Schooled in espionage. Taught to kill and trained to disappear. In this captivating masterwork from bestselling author Taylor Stevens, elusive twins Jack and Jill take the global spy game to electric levels.

LOST TOMORROWS by Matt Coyle: The Rick Cahill Series, Book 6: Perfect for hard-boiled PI fans who like a tainted hero living by his own code!

ALL THAT’S BRIGHT AND GONE by Eliza Nellums: Fans of Jodi Picoult and Fredrik Backman will fall for this tenderhearted debut mystery following a young girl on a quest to save her family.

SHATTERED JUSTICE by Susan Furlong: A Bone Gap Travellers Novel, Book 3: In the Appalachian town of Bone Gap, Tennessee, backwoods justice is more than just blind. It’s swift, silent, and shockingly personal. Especially for Irish Traveller turned deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan.

 

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you can enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

TASK FORCE BAUM by James D. Shipman

November 30, 2019

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The novel is a war story and a very good one. It has all the action, movement, and planning of other great war novels. One big exception is the fact that it is a true incident occurring in the month prior to the cessation of hostilities with Germany.

General George Patton commanding the troops in the area described makes a determination that his army is within striking distance of a POW internment camp. For reasons known only to him, Patton sends a small armored force to take the camp, free the prisoners and bring them back to the American side. The general is under the impression that the camp is a relatively small one holding about 300 prisoners and they can be liberated by sending a force of about 500 men with several tanks to work their way about 50 miles into German-held territory and accomplish the mission.

The captain commanding the force, Abraham Baum, tries to argue that it would be easier and faster to send a division size force with accompanying tanks to make the raid. General Patton disagrees, stating that he has intelligence that the camp is held by only a few troops and sends off the raiding party as originally planned. Baum’s group immediately runs into trouble when the German force turns out to be much larger and better equipped than thought.

Shipman paints a well thought out and researched story of the actual fighting around the expedition and the German troops both stationed in the area as well as those guarding the camp. There is bravery and a willingness to sacrifice on both sides. Soldiers are killed and wounded. There is a maniacal sargeant involved in guarding the prisoners. The anguish felt by men that cannot leave the front to return home to face an emergency there is well described. And, of course, the constant fear of death or devastating wounds is always with the soldiers on both sides.

The question of what Patton had in mind when he ordered an undersized force into a situation that becomes almost impossible is brought out as well as the reactions of the Americans when they realize that they are in over their heads, but cannot give up and turn back. There are no heroes but certainly many people just willing to do their duty. Task Force Baum is a novel that you cannot leave until finished, and certainly the work of an author whose books should be sought out as he writes them.

11/19 Paul Lane

TASK FORCE BAUM by James D. Shipman. Kensington (November 26, 2019). ISBN 978-1496723864. 304p.

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ACTIVE MEASURES by Marc Cameron

November 28, 2019

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A Jericho Quinn Thriller Series, Book 8

Marc Cameron’s principal protagonist makes another appearance in this novel. Like the previous books featuring Jericho Quinn and his team, the story involves continuous action and more action. The entire novel is one long adrenaline rush.

The current book begins as a Cuban scientist, his wife, and little girl arrive on the coast of Florida after fleeing Cuba. He brings a secret that he is anxious to impart to American authorities. Unfortunately, he and his wife are killed by Cuban revolutionaries along with an American that spotting them on the beach goes over to help them. The American and his wife are good friends with Jericho and have managed to call him by cell before they are killed.

To exact revenge for the killing and to find out what is the secret that the Cuban scientist was anxious to bring, Jericho and his team travel to Cuba posing as tourists out for a few days holiday on the island. The Cuban government finds out that Jericho is there to find the reason for the scientist’s death and take steps to correct the situation.

Cameron presents a picture of the conditions present on Cuba which are at variance with the face that the Island nation tries to present to the world in order to attract tourism. It is one of devastation and poverty almost beyond imagining. A place where the leaders of the revolution are the rich with everyone else trying to scratch out a living. The reasons for the huge influx of boaters attempting to arrive in the US is very apparent. It is a case of a possible good future but with the risk of drowning or facing a lifetime of destitution, the crushing of the population by the secret police and endless spying by the dictators.

The plot of the novel is easy to follow. Find out what secret the scientist was bringing. Go through the mounting opposition by the Cuban authorities to Jericho and his team finding out and the hurdles appearing on a constant basis which must be surmounted in order to get the job done.

11/19 Paul Lane

ACTIVE MEASURES by Marc Cameron. Pinnacle; Reprint edition (November 26, 2019). ISBN 978-0786042692. 576p.

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NORTHERN THUNDER by Anderson Harp

November 27, 2019

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A Will Parker Thriller, Book 1

Anderson Harp’s novel “Northern Thunder” was first published in 2017 concerning a covert mission into North Korea. It is just as exciting today as when written but the salient facts about that rogue nation have changed somewhat since that time.

Will Parker, a protagonist in several of Harp’s books, is enjoying life as a civilian in his home town when he is called upon by the U.S. government to reenter service in order to handle a very important mission. He will be tasked with infiltrating North Korea in order to snap a picture of Peter Nampo, a top scientist who is developing technology for that country. His technology would be used to destroy enemy satellites, most obviously those placed into orbit by the United States.

Will is given the impression that all he has to do is take the picture in order for other people to hunt down and kill Nampo. Although not so readily he accepts the mission with the provisos that he can use his own team to assist him and set the training sequences necessary to handle the job and the frigid weather that he will face in North Korea.

The novel is replete with action from one end to the other. Will finds that not only is he faced with the almost impossible task of sneaking into North Korea and finding Nampo, but the high probability that he must contend with problems presented by members of his own government. An all-night draw, of course, but in spite of some facts being dated, the book is still one to draw in readers to the novels of Harp anxiously awaiting future stories from this author.

NOTE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anderson Harp’s novel ‘Northern Thunder’ banned in China: Storyline involves an American spy on a dangerous mission to North Korea

Author Anderson Harp was excited when he learned that his book Northern Thunder would be available in China, until his publisher told him that the book was rejected by China’s state-run General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP).

“Some content about political relations regarding China and Russia, North Korea, South Korea and the United States in this book are negative, so we’re not allowed to print this book in mainland China,”read a statement from the printer on why the book was banned. GAPP has the legal authority to screen, censor, and ban any publication in China.

“Censorship is still very active in China,” said Harp, a retired Marine. “To this day, they still have public book burnings.”

The events portrayed in Northern Thunder begin in 2010 and cover the rise of the Kim Jong-un regime. The plot follows Marine veteran William Parker on a mission to stop a psychotic scientist in North Korea who is developing a nuclear bomb. The prescient storyline is more relevant and believable today with escalating tensions between the U.S. and North Korea in the current news.

“Clearly, the story hit a nerve,” said Harp. “For the Communist Party of China to ban Northern Thunder, their GAPP didn’t like what it saw in the book of North Korea’s efforts to put a lightweight thermonuclear weapon on an intercontinental missile aimed at the West Coast.”

Harp is the author of three military thriller/spy novels, all featuring protagonist Parker, a Marine who gets tapped for dangerous missions around the world. Harp’s other books in the Parker series are Retribution (2014, Kensington) and Born of War (2015, Kensington).

With 30 years of military service, Harp served in the Persian Gulf, Central America, Europe, Korea, and the Pentagon. He was also mobilized for Operating Enduring Freedom, the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, where he was Officer in Charge of the Marines’ Crisis Action Team for Marine Forces Central Command and Marine Forces Pacific. He also served in operation centers that overlooked Korea.

11/19 Paul Lane

NORTHERN THUNDER by Anderson Harp. Lyrical Underground (November 26, 2019). ISBN 978-1516109791. 254p.

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THE SACRED SPOILS by Will Adams

November 25, 2019

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Alaric I was a Visigoth king, who lived in a period several hundred years after the beginning of the Christian era, had sacked and looted Rome. He is reputed to have denuded the city of as much of its private and public treasures as his army could carry. He died during his campaigns in the Italian peninsula and is thought to be buried in Italy.
The story told was that in order to hide Alaric’s grave, a river was diverted from its course, the grave dug with the king and a great deal of treasure buried there. The river was then returned to its path and all of the slaves digging the grave killed in order to preserve the secret.
Will Adams has written a fascinating novel utilizing the seeking of Alaric’s grave, a hunt for the fabled Menorah looted from the destruction of the first temple and made from gold, and a family of the Italian Mafia. Carmen Nero is a student of ancient history currently working on her Ph.D. who is called upon by a friend of hers to come to Italy bringing an instrument. We learn what the instrument is and what it does in due course. She will be treated to being a part of the possible discovery of a historical site of tremendous significance.
Zara Gold is an Israeli professor that has been introduced to the possibility that the sacred Menorah is buried in the tomb of King Alaric. There is a third party in the mix: Cesco Rossi a young conman who is introduced as he is fleeing a group of neo-Nazis from whom he has conned money for showing where Alaric’s tomb is. He obviously doesn’t of course but is important to the story.
The author has indicated that this is book one of a future series featuring both Carmen Nero and Cesco Rossi The current work fleshes them out as well as placing them in the midst of a dangerous situation. The use of historical context and the search for Alaric’s tomb is a well researched and organized novel that certainly does its job in enticing the reader to seek out and read future books about Nero and Rossi.

11/19 Paul Lane

THE SACRED SPOILS by Will Adams. Canelo Action (November 25, 2019). ASIN: B07X2W8YL5. 389p.

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UNDER OCCUPATION by Alan Furst

November 24, 2019

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The setting for this novel is occupied France during World War II. There is an active resistance movement by the French that is working every way; they are able to do damage to the Nazi occupation army.

Paul Ricard is a novelist and not involved with the resistance movement until one day fate intervenes. A man fleeing from Gestapo troops is wounded by them and dies, but manages to hand off a document to Paul who is walking by. The document, when examined, looks like a blueprint for a military weapon and Paul makes the decision to try and deliver it to the resistance movement for transport to England. While doing so he becomes completely embroiled into the activities of the resistance.

Paul gets involved with more and more dangerous activities as he is integrated into the work of the French underground. He is finally tasked with traveling through the escape route set up to get people out of France. His job is to find weak points in this system and he does so. While involved with the work he meets Leila, who is a professional spy. They not only work together but enter into a romance.

The novel is a quick read and sufficiently interesting to please most readers who peruse it. Alan Furst has a long history of presenting his readers with interesting and varied novels. Many of his books deal with spies and espionage and “Under Occupation” follows along successfully with the same theme.

11/19 Paul Lane

UNDER OCCUPATION by Alan Furst. Random House (November 26, 2019). ISBN 978-0399592300. 224p.

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THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett

November 21, 2019

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From the publisher:

A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

From the New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth and State of Wonder, comes Ann Patchett’s most powerful novel to date: a richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are.

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakeable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.

At the heart of this novel is the bond between siblings, something I have witnessed, but never experienced. I think what is a bit unusual is that the siblings are a brother and sister. I have read tons of books about sisters, and some about brothers. I’m sure there are other books that emphasize the brother-sister relationship, but nothing springs to mind, while this book will linger for a very long time.

Danny is dating Celeste. It has become serious, they’ve been together for a few years. He introduces his sister to her,, and at first, Celester and Maeve become fast friends. But when Celeste gives Danny a wedding ultimatum as he completes his first year of med school, he declines and they break up, causing a rift between Maeve and Celeste. When Danny and Celeste eventually marry, she is often resentful of his relationship with his sister. Frankly, I think many women will be able to understand that. I’ve always believed that a married couple needs to put each other first, above everyone else, so I thought I would struggle a bit with this. But I liked Maeve so much more than Celeste that I was surprisingly fine with it.

As you can probably tell from my own inner monologue here, there is a lot to discuss in this book. I haven’t even touched on the Dutch House itself. That is no metaphor, it is the name of the house where Danny and Maeve grew up, and it plays a significant role in the story. Actually, I’ll retract that, it is a metaphor for a few things, now that I think about it.

The Dutch House is, at its heart, a dysfunctional family story, yet in Patchett’s hands, it is so much more. I swear, Patchett could write a grocery list and make it sound beautiful. Her prose is sparse and sensitive; her characters well-drawn, including the house. A wonderful read to savor, perhaps over the upcoming holiday?

Oh, just as an added bonus, Tom Hanks reads the audiobook. Makes me want to give it a listen now!

THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett. Harper; 1st edition (September 24, 2019). ISBN 978-0062963673. 352p.

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NOT THE GIRL YOU MARRY by Andie J. Christopher

November 20, 2019

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From the publisher:

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days gets a millennial makeover in this romantic comedy by USA Today bestselling author Andie J. Christopher.

Jack Nolan is a gentleman, a journalist, and unlucky in love. His viral success has pigeon-holed him as the how-to guy for a buzzy, internet media company instead of covering hard-hitting politics. Fed up with his fluffy articles and the app-based dating scene as well, he strikes a deal with his boss to write a final piece de resistance: How to Lose a Girl. Easier said than done when the girl he meets is Hannah Mayfield, and he’s not sure he wants her to dump him.

Hannah is an extremely successful event planner who’s focused on climbing the career ladder. Her firm is one of the most prestigious in the city, and she’s determined to secure her next promotion. But Hannah has a bit of an image problem. She needs to show her boss that she has range, including planning dreaded, romantic weddings. Enter Jack. He’s the perfect man to date for a couple weeks to prove to her boss that she’s not scared of feelings.

Before Jack and Hannah know it, their fake relationship starts to feel all too real—and neither of them can stand to lose each other.

I loved the movie this book was based on, and I liked that the book is gender-reversed, Millenial sensitive, and has a biracial lead. But somehow it just didn’t come together the way I thought it should, or would. The characters supposedly had instant chemistry, but I didn’t really feel it. The fake dating thing plays out for the entire book, until the very end, so it felt the tiniest bit unsatisfying.

I did like the characters but they could have been fleshed out a bit more. They fell a little flat for me. The con they were playing on one another often felt forced instead of more naturally occurring, if that makes sense. Maybe this plotline just works better visually, I don’t know. Or maybe because I loved the movie it was based on, my expectations were just too high. All that said, it is a very light, cute romantic romp, and ultimately, I did enjoy it. Just not as much as I had hoped.

11/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NOT THE GIRL YOU MARRY by Andie J. Christopher. Berkley (November 12, 2019). ISBN 978-1984802682. 336p.

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THE SECOND SLEEP by Robert Harris

November 19, 2019

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One of the bullet points written about this latest novel by Robert Harris indicates that it is unlike anything he has done before. That statement is very much true. Harris always gives us a well-written book, a plot second to none, and of course characters that are painted in the most mesmerizing manner with portraits of them that allow each to live for the reader. The plot is a very pleasant surprise and not what the reader expects. But assuredly the change in the novel’s direction is one that will be well received and quite satisfying.

Christopher Fairfax, a young priest arrives in a remote village in the hinterland of England in the year of the book 1468. He was sent there in order to hold services for the village’s previous priest who had just passed away. The area around the town is overrunning with ancient artifacts such as glass, human bones, paintings and other miscellaneous memorabilia stemming from long ago. The previous priest had been an ardent collector and exhibitor of what he found. He was killed in a freak fall while moving around in one of the areas he had been working in.

Fairfax becomes fascinated by the collection and determines he will make an inroad into the meaning of what is freely available on the ground. He will work in the area and become amazed at what he is unearthing. His very faith is shaken to the core by the interpretation of the findings and. he is almost killed in the search and also finds time to have a romantic interlude with one of the ladies living there.

The strength of Robert Harris’s book lies in what is discovered and the facts this leads to. It is only fair to say that this is certainly one of the author’s best books and any more of the plot revealed would surely take away the joy of following the path Harris makes. A very well done novel and another in the series of excellent books created by Robert Harris.

11/19 Paul Lane

THE SECOND SLEEP by Robert Harris. Knopf (November 19, 2019). ISBN 978-0525656692. 320p.

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